Editorial Comment on Veteran’s Article: “The National Question and the Lettish Proletariat”

Published:ProsveshcheniyeNo. 2, February 1914.

      Published according to the text inProsveshcheniye.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1972,

      Moscow,Volume 20,

      page125.Translated:Bernard Isaacs and The Late Joe FinebergTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Wegladly publish Comrade
Veteran’s[2]article, which gives an outline of the history of the
national question among the Letts in general and in the Lettish
Social-Democratic Party in particular. Draft amendments or addenda by
Lettish Marxists for the decision by the Summer (1913)
Conference[3]would be very welcome. Lettish Social-Democrats have long
been in sympathy with the Bund; but this sympathy was shaken firstly by the
theoretical criticism of the Marxists, and secondly by the Bundists’
separatism in practice, particularly after 1906. We hope that the
discussion of the national question among Lettish Social-Democrats will
continue and that it will lead to the adoption of definite decisions.

Asregards Comrade Veteran’s remarks, we have only the following
comment to make. He thinks our reference to
			     Switzerland[1]unconvincing because all three nations in that country are historical and
have been equal from the very beginning. But “nations without a history”
cannot find models or patterns anywhere (apart from utopias) except among
historical nations. As for the equality of nations, that is something even
advocates of “cultural-national autonomy” take for granted. Consequently,
the experience of civilised mankind tells us thatwheregenuine
equality of nations and consistent democracy exist, “cultural-national
autonomy”, is superfluous; and where they donotexist, it
remains utopian, and propaganda in its favour is propaganda in favour of
refined nationalism.

[1]Seepp. 20–21 of this volume.—Ed.

[2]Veteran—P. I. Stučka, one of the oldest leaders of
the Social-Democratic movement.

[3]Thisrefers to theConference of the Central Committee of the
R.S.D.L.P.andParty workersheld on September 23-October 1
(October 6–14), 1913 in the village of Poronin, near Cracow. For reasons
of secrecy it was called the “August” (“Summer”) Conference.